How to Make Tulle Pettiskirts

Make a two-tierred pettiskirt with a double layer of tulle without a pattern.

Pettiskirts are traditionally worn as underskirts to add fullness to a dress or skirt. Little girls are now wearing pettiskirts as outer skirts. Pettiskirts are made from nylon chiffon, polyester chiffon, cottons, tulle and other synthetic fabrics. Fullness is added through the tiers of gathered fabric. Pettiskirts have from two to six tiers involving massive amounts of fabric yardage. Make a two-tiered cotton (or nylon chiffon) and tulle pettiskirt without a pattern. Because tulle doesn't unravel, it requires no hemming.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Fabric--nylon chiffon or lightweight cotton
• Scissors
• Straight pins
• Sewing machine
• Thread
• Tulle
• Needle
• Elastic--½ inch width
• 2 Safety pins

Instructions

Measuring for the Pettiskirt Fabric Pieces

1. Measure the child's waist. This is the actual waist measurement.

2. Measure the widest part of the child's hips for the actual hip measurement. Multiply this measurement by three for the modified hip measurement.

3. Measure, vertically, from the child's waist to her mid-thigh. Add two inches to this measurement. This is the modified length measurement.

4. Measure from the child's mid-thigh to the child's knee. This is the tulle length.

Cutting the Pettiskirt Fabric Pieces

1. Cut one rectangle of cotton or nylon chiffon according to the modified hip measurement (Section 1, Step 2) and the modified length measurement (Section 1, Step 3). This is tier 1.

2. Multiply the actual hip measurement (Section 1, Step 2) by four. Cut two rectangles of tulle according to the tulle length (Section 1, Step 4) and this multiplied measurement result. This is tier 2.

3. Cut one piece of elastic according to the waist measurement (Section 1, Step 1).

Sewing the Pettiskirt

1. Place the two rectangles of tulle on top of each other, aligned horizontally. Pin. Choose one long side to be the top edge. Sew the edges together using a ½ inch seam allowance and straight stitch. Remove pins.

2. Gather the joined tulle layers to the modified hip measurement in Section 1, Step 2 (same as the cotton/nylon chiffon width). The tulle may be gathered by machine or hand. According to Anne Griffiths of the Contemporary Textile Art website, automatic machine gathering requires a gathering foot or a ruffle attachment. See Section 4 for hand gathering instructions.

3. Lay the cotton rectangle flat on the table. Lay the gathered tulle upside down, aligning the gathered edge with the bottom edge of the cotton rectangle. Pin. When you've sewn the tulle to the skirt, the tulle will fall down into place with the seam on the skirt's inside.

4. Sew the tulle layers to the cotton using a ½ inch seam allowance and straight stitch. Remove pins.

5. Turn the fabric so the wrong side of the skirt is facing you. Align the left and right side edges of the cotton skirt and tulle ruffle. Pin. This is the skirt's side seam.

6. Sew the side seam using a ½ inch seam allowance and straight stitch. Remove pins. You have a two-tiered pettiskirt with a double layer of gathered tulle. Leave the skirt inside out.

7. Fold the top edge over ½ inch against the fabric's wrong side. Pin. Hem the edge using a ½ inch seam allowance and straight stitch.

8. Fold the hemmed edge over 1 inch against the fabric's wrong side. Pin. You are sewing a casing for the elastic to form the skirt's waist. Leave a 3 inch opening over the side seam. Don't pin this opening. This is the casing opening.

9. Sew the casing with a 1 inch seam allowance and straight stitch. Don't sew the 3 inch opening. Remove pins.

10. Connect a safety pin to each end of the elastic. Attach one safety pin to the casing fabric. Feed the other safety pin through the casing opening until it emerges.

11. Align the elastic ends. Remove pins. Sew the ends together. Sew the casing opening closed. Turn the skirt right side out.

How to Hand Gather

1. Unroll thread equal to the length of the fabric to be gathered. Cut it. Thread a needle. Tie a knot at the thread's end.

2. Sew a locking stitch around the outer edge of the right side of the fabric. Sew toward the left of the fabric piece. According to Margaret Swanson and Ann MacBeth, in their book "Educational Needlecraft," you should hand gather by sewing a running stitch through the fabric.

3. Sew a running stitch by inserting the needle down into the fabric and pulling the thread until it touches the fabric. With the needle beneath the fabric, move the needle over about ¼ inch from the previous stitch, and bring the needle up through the fabric. Repeat. Continue until you have reached the end of the fabric.

4. Pull the thread gently, using your fingers to bunch the fabric as it gathers with the thread's tightening. Continue pulling the thread until the fabric reaches the desired length. Hold the end of the gather tight.

5. Cut the thread so it hangs about 10 inches. Thread a needle onto the thread. Sew several locking stitches around the edges of the fabric to secure the gathering.

References

• Anne Griffiths - Contemporary Textile Art: Pleats, Tucks and Gathers
• Chest of Books: Educational Needlecraft Lesson XIV Gathering

Resources

• Chest of Books: Educational Needlecraft Lesson XIV Gathering Illustration